Dispensing valve and spout structure



R. F. OLSON 3,372,841

DISPENSING VALVE AND SPOUT STRUCTURE Filed July 15, 1966 Margh 12, 1968 2 INVENTOR.

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v-w ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,372,841 Patented Mar. 12, 1968 3,372,841 DESPENSING VALVE AND SPOUT STRUCTURE Richard F. Olson, Golden Valley, Minn, assignor to The Cornelius Company, Anoka, Mium, a corporation of Minnesota Filed July 13, 1966, Ser. No. 564,832 11 Claims. (Ci. 222-153) This specification relates generally to dispensing valves, and more specifically to a manually actuated beverage dispensing valve.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various valve devices, a particularly useful application is made when the dispensing valve forms a part of the cover of a pressurized tank, particularly where such apparatus is used as a home-type beer dispenser that is normally stored in a refrigerator.

Prior constructions of dispensing valves for home beer dispensing tanks have been characterized by including a stem around which unwanted .material can collect, thereby creating both a leakage problem (in that such foreign matter may not allow the valve to seat fully) and a sanitation problem. Moreover, valve constructions of the stemtype are not readily washable in that such constructions must be completely disassembled in order to clean them thoroughly. The present invention contemplates the utilization of a pivoted valve employing no stem, thereby having a high degree of washability without disassembly. More particularly, the present invention contemplates certain actuator structure for operating such pivoted valve.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispensing valve.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing valve construction which can readily form a part of a cover of a pressurized tank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide simple manual actuator means.

A still further object of the present invention is provide manual actuator means for the valve which can be actuated by the same hand that is holding a vessel to be filled during such filing.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide actuator means which also controls vent means for the dispensing spout, thereby minimizing dripping.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a structure for trapping an associated blown blow-out plug.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present inventionwill become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and theaccompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a cover for a pressurized tank having a dispensing valve provided thereon in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 2 with movable parts omitted.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a liquid dispensing valve such as illustrated in FIG. 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The dispensing valve includes an inlet housing 11, a spout housing 12, a valve 13 carried on a pivoted lever 14, the lever 14 being under the control of a manual actuator 15 and a spring 16.

The inlet housing 11 in this embodiment forms an integral part of a cover 17 for a pressurized tank fragmentarily illustrated at 18. Pressure within the tank urges the cover 17 against an O-ring 19 disposed on the inner side of an aperture-defining flange 2d. The cover 17 includes a blow-out plug 21 which is exposed to tank pressure on one side and to atmospheric pressure on the opposite side. This plug typically comprises rubber.

The inlet housing 11 has a face 22 which abuts against a face 23 on the spout housing 12. A flow passage extends through the faces 22, 23 and is defined by a liquid inlet line 24 leading to a cavity 25 in the inlet housing within which the valve 13 is disposed. The flow passage is normally blocked by the valve 13 which engages a main seat 26 on the spout housing 12, the flow passage continuing in a downward direction through a spout or spout portion 27 and terminating at its lower end in an outlet or discharge portion 28.

The spout housing 12 has a vent passage 29 which connects a point in the flow passage which is downstream of the valve 13 with an auxiliary valve seat 30.

The valve 13 is molded to the inner end of the lever 14, and an annular pivot seal 31 is molded to the lever 14 with the valve 13 being concentric with such seal. The seal 31 is clamped into sealing grooves provided in the faces 22, 23 and is held along with the spout housing 12 in a fixed position by means of a number of screws 32 (FIG. 1). The lever 14 extends outwardly of the housing faces 22, 23 from the seal 31, the inlet and spout housings 1'1 and 12 being recessed to enable pivoting of the lever 14. The lever 14 thus has an outer portion 33, at least part of which has an elastomeric covering 34 that is engageable with the auxiliary valve seat 30 to close such auxiliary. seat when the valve 13 is moved to an open position. A plastic wear cap 35 is provided on the lower end of the lever 14. The spring 16 is seated in a recess 36 (FIG. 3) in the spout 27 and engages the outer portion 33 of the lever 14 at the plastic cap 35 to bias the valve 13 into closed relation with the main seat 26.

Along the back edge of the spout 27, substantially adjacent to the spring recess 36, the spout housing extends as a web in directions perpendicular to the plane in which FIG. 2 is shown, as best seen in FIG. 1 at 36, 37. These portions of the spout housing 12 then are directed rearwardly to provide a pair of spaced flanges 38, 39 which extend to the other housing 11. The flanges 38, 39 thus enclose the outer portion 33 of the lever 14, and also enclose a space adjacent to the outer end of the blowout plug 21. As best seen in FIG. 3, the housings 11, 12 are provided with confronting means which constitute split bearings, a bearing portion 39a comprising a recess on the rearward edge of the flange 38, and a bearing portion 3% comprising a recess on a forwardly directed portion of the inlet housing 11. A similar split bearing structure is provided on the flange 39. The portions 36 and 37 of the spout housing 12 coact with the flanges 38 and 39 and with a filler portion 49 (FIG. 3) to define a space in which the blow-out plug 21 will be trapped if it is caused to blow out.

The manual actuator 15 includes a lower manually accessible portion 41 which preferably is concave so as to nestingly receive a drinking vessel. Embedded into the ends of the portion 41 is a wire of generally inverted U-shape having intermediate horizontally extending portions 42, 43 which are pivotally supported in the split bearing means 3%, 39b in the flanges 38 and 39. From the horizontal pivoted portions 42, 43 the wire of the actuator 15 extends further upwardly to form a bight 44 which engages the outer portion 33 of the lever 14 at its plastic cap 35. When a force is applied to the portion 41 to deflect it toward the cover 17, the actuator 15 pivots at the split bearing means 39a, 39b, and rocks the bight portion 44 forwardly to rock the outer portion 33 of the lever 14 against the force of the spring 16 to open the valve 13. Release of such manually accessible portion 41 enables the spring 16 to restore the components to the position illustrated in the drawings. Preferably, the manually accessible portion 41 is disposed below the spout 27 so that a vessel to be filled, or a hand holding the vessel to be filled may engage that portion 41, thereby enabling single-handed operation of the dispensing valve.

The manually accessible part 4-1 of the actuator 15 is provided with a recess 4-5, and the central forward part of the spout housing 12 is provided with an apertured projection 46 which are mutually receptive of a sealing wire which, when properly tied and fastened, will preclude any operation of the actuator 15 and hence preclude any operation of the valve 13 at least until after the consumer has acquired possession of the device. This is particularly helpful when the pressurized tank is merchandise filled with beer.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A liquid dispensing valve comprising in combination:

(a) an inlet housing having a face;

(b) a spout housing having a face secured to said inlet housing face;

(c) a flow passage arranged to be connected to a supply of liquid and extending through said housings at said faces;

(d) a valve disposed in said fiow passage;

(e) a lever supporting said valve, said lever being pivotally supported by said housings at said faces, and having an outer portion projecting outwardly beyond said faces;

(f) confronting means on said housings remote from said faces jointly defining split bearing means; and

(g) a manual actuator pivotably supported by said split bearing means and engageable with said outer portion of said lever.

2. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 1, having a vent passage in said spout housing connecting a point in said flow passage downstream of said valve with an auxiliary valve seat disposed to be closed by said outer portion of said lever when said valve is open.

3. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 1, in which a spring acts between a downwardly directed spout on said spout housing and said outer portion of said lever and biases said valve in a closed direction.

4. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 1, in which the manually engageable portion of said manual actuator is disposed at a level below the discharge end of said flow passage.

5. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 1, in

which said manual actuator and said spout housing have means receptive of a sealing wire for precluding operation of said actuator.

6. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 1, in which said inlet housing comprises a part of a cover for a pressurized tank.

7. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 1, in which one of said housings has a pair of spaced flanges extending to the other of said housings and enclosing said outer portion of said lever, said split bearing means being partially defined by edges of said flanges.

8. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 7, in which said inlet housing comprises a part of a cover for a pressurized tank, and a blow-out plug disposed in said cover at an area enclosed by said fianges.

Q A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 8, which includes means coactive with said flanges for trapping any blown out blow-out plug.

it). A liquid dispensing valve comprising in combination:

(a) an inlet housing having a face;

(b) a spout housing having a face secured to said inlet housing face;

(c) a flow passage arranged to be connected to a supply of liquid and extending through said housings at said faces;

((1) a valve disposed in said flow passage;

(e) a lever supporting said valve, said lever being pivotally supported by said housings at said faces, and having an outer portion projecting outwardly beyond said faces;

(f) a manual actuator pivotally supported on at least one of said housings and engageable with said outer portion of said lever; and

(g) a vent passage in said spout housing connecting a point in said flow passage downstream of said valve with an auxiliary valve seat disposed to be closed by said outer portion of said lever when said valve is open.

11. A liquid dispensing valve according to claim 10,

in which said outer portion of said lever has an elastomeric covering engageable with said auxiliary valve seat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,015,980 1/1912 Robbins 251-303 1,054,972 3/1913 Liquorish 222-478 2,809,800 10/1957 Ahl 251-303x ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A LIQUID DISPENSING VALVE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) AN INLET HOUSING HAVING A FACE; (B) A SPOUT HOUSING HAVING A FACE SECURED TO SAID INLET HOUSING FACE; (C) A FLOW PASSAGE ARRANGED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SUPPLY OF LIQUID AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOUSINGS AT SAID FACES; (D) A VALVE DISPOSED IN SAID FLOW PASSAGE; (E) A LEVER SUPPORTING SAID VALVE, SAID LEVER BEING PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSINGS AT SAID FACES, AND HAVING AN OUTER PORTION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID FACES; (F) CONFRONTING MEANS ON SAID HOUSINGS REMOTE FROM SAID FACES JOINTLY DEFINING SPLIT BEARING MEANS; AND (G) A MANUAL ACTUATOR PIVOTABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID SPLIT BEARING MEANS AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OUTER PORTION OF SAID LEVER. 